As the accused were being taken to their residence, locals surrounded the group and attacked them, even as the outnumbered policemen tried to protect the accused.

Image for representation.

Bhopal: Locals in the Old City area on Friday thrashed three men, who have been accused of raping a minor, while they were being taken around the area for investigation purposes by policemen.

As the accused were being taken to their residence, locals surrounded the group and attacked them, even as the outnumbered policemen tried to protect the accused. Slogans seeking death penalty for the rapists were also raised.

A video, that has now gone viral, shows the police and suspects being surrounded in a narrow bylane by residents, who subsequently beat up the accused. Even after the police pulled themselves and the accused out of the tight spot, they were followed and the accused were further thrashed by the residents.

Jehangirabad Police Station in-charge Pritam Singh Thakur said they wanted to seek evidence, which allegedly included obscene videos, from the houses of the accused and hence had taken them to the area. The search, though, ended empty-handed.

On Thursday, the police had booked Nannulal Bhilala (67), Gyanendra Pandit and Gokul Chaurasia for raping a minor girl. A woman, Suman Pandey, also allegedly helped the accused in their act and has been booked in the case. All four accused have been arrested.

The girl, a student of class five, had been repeatedly raped by the three at Suman’s house for three months. The accused had threatened the girl with dire consequences if she revealed the matter to anyone, said the police.

Reports of the incident come when the city is already seething over the gang rape of a 19-year-old girl in the Habibganj railway station area.

Meanwhile, on Friday, the Special Investigation Team, led by DIG Sudhir Laad handed over the police negligence report to ADG (Anti-Women Harassment) Aruna Mohan Rao, reportedly holding five policemen accountable for the delay in registration of FIR by almost eight hours after the Habibganj gang rape incident.